Nashville was in the middle of the pack for its encouragement of green roofs, protecting open space and other items that are natural ways to clean up waterways and reduce flooding. Dean pointed out that Nashville was the only city in the Southeast that was included in the Natural Resources Defense Council “Emerald City” rankings.

“I have been talking now for about 4 years about being the greenest city in the Southeast. It’s probably prudent for me to just to declare victory at this point and go home,” he said.

However, the mayor quickly conceded that “there’s still a lot of work to do before we earn that title” and referred to it as “a lofty goal” that still needs striving for.